Decatur seniors awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships
DECATUR — Students, faculty, staff and administrators, along with family and friends, gathered at Peterson Gym in Decatur for the Decatur High School Academics Awards and Scholarships program May 8.
Several local businesses, including Grand Savings Bank, Decatur Medic Clinic, Carroll Electric, Community Blood Drive and Greenlawn Farm, handed out from $100 to $1,000 in scholarships to several members of the Class of 2017. Other organizations contributing to the scholarships included the Decatur Athletic Booster Club, M.H. Bill Simmons Memorial Foundation, Helping Hands and Dale Garner Memorial Foundation.
Decatur Chamber of Commerce members Amy Brooks and Ladale Clayton presented the 2017 Valedictorian Scholarship in the amount of $300 to Ryan Shaffer, with Dylan Frydrychowski receiving the $200 Salutatorian Scholarship.
Two scholarships given annually by the Decatur Alumni Association and the Decatur Education Foundation were awarded to seniors whose parents or grandparents graduated from Decatur High School. C.L. Abercrombie, himself a graduate from the old Decatur High School (now city hall), presented scholarships to Bracy Owens, Ryan Shaffer and Cameron Shaffer.
Ryan Shaffer received one of five university scholarships awarded to this year’s senior class. Shaffer was awarded a four-year full scholarship totaling $71,000 to Tufts University in Medford, Mass., where he plans to major in communications with a minor in political science.
Owens also received a full scholarship totaling $24,000 from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, where he plans to major in engineer physics. His older brother, Even Owens, also attends Arkansas Tech.
Shaney Lee received a $1,000 scholarship from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. She plans on getting a degree in illustration.
Frydrychowski received a full scholarship to Pittsburg State, where he plans to get a degree in graphic design.
After the scholarship presentation, Hannah Hawkins led the second half of the program with the presentation of the Valedictorian, Salutatorian and National Honor Society awards.
The final award went to the outstanding student of the year. This was given to the senior who has contributed the most to support his fellow students. This award went to Brandon Coker, whose commitment to Decatur football helped to save the program this season.
In all, 40 scholarships were received by the class of 2017 with more than 75 awards presented to Decatur High School freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.